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When children experience a
stressful transition, such as their
parents' divorce, their schoolwork may
be affected. Therefore, it is
important for parents to closely monitor their child's school
performance. In addition to monitoring
how their child is doing in
school, parents can also engage in behaviors at home that can keep
their child on the right track in
school.
What
can I do at home to foster my child's learning?
èBe
involved in your child's school life. This means it is
important to keep yourself informed of
your child's homework, tests,
and behavior at school. Check to make sure your child
understands his or her assignments and
that he or she is completing
all the assigned work. Review completed tests and
other assignments your child brings
home, and also establish and
maintain a close working relationship with your child's
teacher(s). Inform your child's
teacher(s) that you are going
through a divorce so you can work together to make sure the
divorce does not interfere with your
child's progress in school.
èTry
to establish a regular time for your child to do his or
her homework each night. Children
often benefit from the sense of
stability and security that are associated with routines.
èIf
your child spends time with your ex-spouse during the week,
try to set up a system with your
ex-spouse to manage your
child's homework and other school-related activities. Share
important information with your
ex-spouse regarding your
child's homework time, progress in school, and behavior in
school. Keeping your ex-spouse
informed will allow both of you
to more successfully foster your child's learning.
èLast,
but certainly not least, be sure to work on
strengthening your relationship with
your child. Studies have shown
that children who have a good relationship with at least
one parent after a divorce have higher
grades in school. Take time out
to spend quality time with your child and let your
child know how much you care about him
or her.
What can I do if
my child starts having problems in school?
èConsider
using a daily report card. Information such as
whether or not your child turned in
homework, what grade he or she
received on the homework or test, and other information regarding
the child's school performance or behavior can be
included on the report card. Every
day, your child's teacher(s)
can fill out the report card to keep you informed
of your child's performance. Be sure
to go over problems on the
report card with your child and identify incentives that
your child can earn for doing well in
certain areas. Daily report
cards can help make clear to your child what is
expected of him or her and can provide
motivation for your child to do
well in school.
èAsk
your child's teacher(s) to recommend a tutor for your child.
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